Revamp at PWD office set after fiasco
CEBU CITY (May 29, 2024) – Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin N. Garcia said a private firm has offered to help provide the City with new identification cards for the persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The offer came a week after Councilor James Anthony Cuenco sought for a probe into the alleged falsification of PWD IDs that had been sold to able-bodied individuals.
Garcia said representatives of the private firm visited his office this morning and demonstrated the ID card’s security features, like a unique quick response (QR) code and fingerprint for every member.
The firm even offered to encode the card holder’s information in a system to help authenticate his or her identity, he added.
“They provide the names in a database and with facial recognition pa gyud na,” Garcia said during the maiden cast of his own teleradyo program Resulta Ang Garantiya over RMN Sugboanon Channel.
The acting mayor said he plans to roll out the new ID cards not just for the PWDs but also for the city’s registered senior citizens, pointing out that it can help prevent fraud and corruption in the issuance of PWD IDs.
There was no mention of the name of the company during the teleradyo program, but his staff identified it as Information Technology Business Solutions (ITBS) Corp.
Its website describes itself as a 100 percent all-Filipino systems developer and integrator of Smart Country ecosystems, providing end-to-end solutions for government and private institutions.
During the demonstration, Garcia said he took interest in its facial recognition feature that uses artificial intelligence (AI) before it prints a new PWD ID within just two minutes.
Garcia intends to avail of the firm’s services within this year, provided that the City Council will appropriate funds for the endeavor.
“I hope we can have it by this year, gitan-aw pa nako ang budget. Kung wala gane, we can propose it in next year’s budget,” he added.
Investigation
Garcia said he immediately ordered an investigation after Cuenco’s privilege speech last week.
He admitted difficulty to pinpoint the possible suspects as no complainants have come forward.
“Lisud gyud kaayo to make a determination ka’y wala man gu’y reklamante. That is the problem,” he added.
He also noted the lack of evidence that some City Hall officials may be in connivance to earn money by selling PWD IDs to able-bodied persons.
But Garcia said he had quelled the alleged illegal practice by stopping the printing of new IDs.
He also ordered a revamp of employees at the PWD office to ensure that “there are checks and balances.”
Finally, the acting mayor also ordered City administrator Kristine Joyce Batucan to review the guidelines in the issuance of PWD IDs.
“Rest assured, we are really doing the proper investigation, given due process to all those who were allegedly involved,” he added.
In an interview with the local media, Cuenco said he met and talked with an able-bodied individual who had obtained a PWD ID card just for the price of P2, 000 to P4,000.
The person told Cuenco that certain individuals connected with the Office of the City Mayor were allegedly involved in the scheme.
During the Council’s regular session last Wednesday, May 22, Cuenco sought to invite some employees at the Office of the City Mayor to an executive session to shed light on the allegations.
He also invited the Department of Social Welfare and Services and the Management Information and Computer Services to another executive session scheduled on June 6. | RMN / jkv with PIO / em
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